Veteran broadcaster Dan Patrick didn’t mince words Tuesday when addressing ESPN’s newly announced agreement with the NFL—one that includes the network acquiring NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and a 10% equity stake going back to the league.
“The journalist in me would point out the conflict of interest,” Patrick said on The Dan Patrick Show. “ESPN can’t be any further in bed with the NFL.”
The new deal marks a striking shift from where things stood less than a decade ago. Patrick cited reporting from ESPN author James Andrew Miller that, just eight years ago, the network was questioning whether it should even continue its relationship with the NFL. That tension has now given way to a full-blown partnership—one that Patrick believes comes with serious implications for journalistic independence.
“Are they going to look the other way with whatever negative story that comes up? They’ve probably already done that,” stated Patrick. “Everybody’s in bed with the NFL. All networks have partnerships here.”
He pointed to his own time at ESPN Radio as an example. When ESPN’s scripted drama Playmakers drew the ire of the NFL, league executives called ESPN Radio and asked that it be pulled off the air. The company complied according to Patrick.
According to Patrick, this dynamic isn’t new—but it’s now official.
“As far as a conflict of interest, I think that’s long gone,” said Patrick. “There’s certain things that you’re just not going to cover. I don’t know how deep ESPN went in on the mess of the NFL Players Association. I know [Mike] Florio did.”
With ESPN now taking over the reins of NFL Network and RedZone—and expanding its game inventory—Patrick acknowledged the value of the deal from a business standpoint. But he also questioned what kind of accountability fans can expect from coverage moving forward.
“Outside the Lines is gone,” he said. “We’re in the content business. That’s what Jimmy Petaro who runs ESPN. They’re in the content business.”
Patrick credited Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk as one of the few national voices still willing to challenge the league, but wondered aloud whether ESPN reporters would have the latitude to do the same under this new structure. As for the NFL Network, Patrick credited the effort of the league.
“There’s a lot of great football people over there,” he added. “They gutted the place. That’s the disappointing part of it. A lot of great football people. They streamlined it so then they were going to sell it.”
Though Patrick didn’t dismiss the significance of the acquisition—calling it a “big, big, big deal”—he emphasized that with the NFL now owning a stake in its most prominent media partner, editorial independence may be the price paid for access.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
